“It is a great joy when we receive greetings from you. Your words are always loving, a ray of hope.”

“My dear, good child! I haven’t had any news from you in a long time. Are you in good health?”

These lines, warm, kind, and hopeful, are seemingly ordinary—until you realize that they were written in the darkest days of the Holocaust under tyrannical censorship. In Holocaust Postal History, read more about these messages and others, many written just before a final, tragic journey.

Holocaust philately, the study of postal means of communication during the Nazi era in Europe, does not provide answers to the major questions that still haunt us. It does, however, offer insight into the personal, unique journeys of victims of the Nazi onslaught. In many cases, an envelope or a postcard, as highlighted in this book, may be the only remnant of an individual’s life.

ENDORSEMENTS

I was deeply moved by these spare but compelling stories. The handwriting in these postcards—along with the pleas for help and family connection—vividly humanizes this horrific event, often seen as overwhelming. I admire the dedication and hard work required to collect and document this important part history.

— Robert Johnston, professor of history, University of Illinois at Chicago

Justin Gordon’s Holocaust Postal History is a very readable and understandable overview of this tragic period. The translations of the messages written by the Holocaust victims bring these events to life. If you are interested in the Holocaust, this book will make a good addition to your library.